19% Body Fat but still feel fat?

stephaniejohnston750

I've recently reached what I thought was my ideal weight 140 lbs at 5'7 being a woman with 3 kids. Today I decided to start measuring body fat percentage to get a better idea of how "fit" I am and make a new goal. After using the tool at the local gym where you give your gender, height, weight, age, and hold the machine in your hands- it came up with a body fat percentage of 19.21% Considering I have never really paid attention to this I have no idea what it means as far as my "fit" level. After some serious googling, I came to the conclusion most would see 19.21% as pretty fit/athletic build.

My questions is 1) How accurate are these machines? and 2) Why don't I look like the girls in the pictures of this fat % 3) How do I get there?

I've had 3 kids and some significant skin stretching (at one point I weighed 200+ lbs). Is it ever going to be possible for me to get defined abs and lose the looser skin? I feel like I should feel good about where I'm at but because of the loose skin around my belly I still feel "fat".

I'm on a healthy diet (lots of fruits, vegs, lean protein, and low carbs) and exercise frequently with strength training and cardio.

FrnkLft

I really don't know about the skin, though I'm pretty sure the answer is unfortunate. You might have to get it removed by a plastic surgeon depending on how much it stretched, perhpas for how long. I would be interested to hear what some of the women on this site might have to say from their experience, but it depends a lot I could imagine on details...

That much aside, those little tools that you hold in your hands are notoriously inaccurate by as much at 8%. So just keep that in mind. It also depends on the actual size of your muscles. If your abs are weak, being at at 19% bodyfat could look very different when compared with a woman who has built her abs.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Those machines are not very accurate at all. I think the hand held ones only really test your upper body (and the scale ones only really test your lower body).

The stretch skin is often genetics. Some women have a lot and some not very much. How old is your last child? It gets better with time.

What kind of strength training are you doing?

jwdieter

Handheld fat measurement is pretty sketchy to start with. Can get skewed by a lot of factors, most notably hydration level.

Looking like other people in pictures can be difficult, due to self-perception problems and simple genetic differences.

Hard to say from the post whether this is more about being hypercritical or actually just being mid-20s body fat (i.e. incorrect measurement from machine).

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

They are notoriously bad. I was measured in the low 30s% and in the high teens the next day.

Body fat percent doesn't really matter all that much if you like what you see in the mirror. When it comes to health and fitness, I still use it as my primary tool. More so than the scale or BF%.

Just keep going until you are happy.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

drink

DavPul

those machines aren't accurate but knowing what your BF% is is incredibly overrated. Use the mirror. Do you like what you see? If yes, congrats, and keep doing what you're doing. If no, then continue to make improvements in whatever direction you feel you need to go.

If you don't like what you see in the mirror, the number on the bodyfat scale doesn't make one whit of difference

cdahl383

They are notoriously bad. I was measured in the low 30s% and in the high teens the next day.

Body fat percent doesn't really matter all that much if you like what you see in the mirror. When it comes to health and fitness, I still use it as my primary tool. More so than the scale or BF%.

Just keep going until you are happy.

Excellent advice! I've found that things like bodyfat % and weight are good for setting targets at first, but as you progress, you really just need to go by what you see in the mirror and how you feel about yourself.

cdahl383

those machines aren't accurate but knowing what your BF% is is incredibly overrated. Use the mirror. Do you like what you see? If yes, congrats, and keep doing what you're doing. If no, then continue to make improvements in whatever direction you feel you need to go.

If you don't like what you see in the mirror, the number on the bodyfat scale doesn't make one whit of difference

Agreed, great advice!

stephaniejohnston750

Thanks everyone for the insight. I don't feel like 19.21% is accurate but i was trying to look for a better way to judge my progress. The scale isn't really saying much anymore and with my overall weight loss it's hard to tell if there is improvement since i do have some loose skin on my stomach.

I'm going in for a better evaluation on Thursday with a trainer to get pointed in the right direction. Hopefully we can figure out a way to get where i want without surgery Thanks!

EmilyEmpowered

those machines aren't accurate but knowing what your BF% is is incredibly overrated. Use the mirror. Do you like what you see? If yes, congrats, and keep doing what you're doing. If no, then continue to make improvements in whatever direction you feel you need to go.

If you don't like what you see in the mirror, the number on the bodyfat scale doesn't make one whit of difference

I have finally decided this is what I need to do, jsut go by the mirror and F all these different versions of "judging" our fitness level. I will always just strive to be better! :drinker:

FrnkLft

those machines aren't accurate but knowing what your BF% is is incredibly overrated. Use the mirror. Do you like what you see? If yes, congrats, and keep doing what you're doing. If no, then continue to make improvements in whatever direction you feel you need to go.

If you don't like what you see in the mirror, the number on the bodyfat scale doesn't make one whit of difference

I have finally decided this is what I need to do, jsut go by the mirror and F all these different versions of "judging" our fitness level. I will always just strive to be better! :drinker:

This is a big problem amongst women, and the way they are educated about these things both in the media and from their peers. The value isn't only placed on how the woman looks and feels about her current weight or target, it's also placed on the measurements themselves, which are completely arbitrary when she and the men around her are satisfied with where she is at.